


Even Tigers Ain't Always Tough

by CalamityK



Series: Hear Me Roar [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Cute, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Otabek POV, Sickfic, Yuri is 18, duh - Freeform, kind of? does that tag apply to sick!fic, read parts one through three first pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 21:05:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9203114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalamityK/pseuds/CalamityK
Summary: “I don’t mean hot like attractive. I mean hot like I could fry an egg on you.” Otabek says rather sternly. “You have a fever.”--------Or that fic where Yuri gets sick and Otabek gets worried.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pumpkinpiechey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pumpkinpiechey/gifts).



> Read Parts 1-3 first kiddos.  
> (even though this could stand alone technically)
> 
> Not only is this not beta'd this was NOT what i planned for part four.................  
> But i have Pneumonia and a high grade fever and this is me transferring that onto Yuri. So i know the symptoms are at least accurate HA.
> 
> I don't know anything about actual skating competitions but we are going to pretend that getting moved to compete in another event is no big deal. Mmkay?
> 
> Idk what else to say....Surprise?

Otabek senses it almost as soon as he actually touches Yuri. The fact that something _isn’t quite right_ rolls over him in a wave. His hands feel like they’re burning where they grasp Yuri’s wrists, and Yuri’s breathing is a bit more ragged than usual. Considering their current positioning, he’d normally write it off as being due to exhaustion on Yuri’s part, _or_ overexcitement. But even under the circumstances something seems off.

“You’re hot.” Otabek letting the smallest tint of worry lace his voice.

Yuri squirms underneath him, trying to grind up from where Otabek has him pinned.

“Right back at you, Beka.” Yuri snarks.

Otabek releases his wrists, and swiftly climbs off of Yuri; ignoring his own pants that are undone and sliding past his knees as he stands. “No… your body…its hotter than normal.”

Yuri whines and glares after Otabek. “If I say it’s because I’ve been working out will you come back here and continue?”

Otabek shakes his head and moves to place the back of his hand tenderly against Yuri’s forehead. Yuri’s sweating from the activities they were attempting, but also from something else. The skin against Otabek’s hand is searing. “I don’t mean hot like attractive. I mean hot like I could fry an egg on you.” Otabek says rather sternly. “You have a fever.”

Yuri scoffs. “No I don’t. I haven’t had a fever since I was four.”

Otabek moves the hand from Yuri’s forehead to directly under the blonde’s chin, then lower to his chest. The temperature of his skin is consistent. Yuri is _burning_ and alarm bells start going off in Otabek’s head. “Well, you have one now.” Otabek breathes, “You should probably see a physician, or rather I think I should take you to one.”

Otabek grabs the hem of Yuri’s sweatpants and tugs them back up his legs. Yuri protests, pressing his legs into the couch. “I _do not_ have a fever. I’m fine and I—

Yuri is cut off by his own sudden coughing. Otabek grabs him quickly and sits him upright, before moving to pull up his own pants and locate their shirts. Yuri is too stubborn sometimes, and Otabek knows he’s been exhausting himself both on and off the ice. He regrets keeping Yuri up late last night as the thought crosses his mind that he possibly was contributing to Yuri not resting and becoming ill. Otabek yanks his red sweater over his head, not caring how it musses his dark hair, as Yuri lets out a final hacking cough. There’s a faint rattle in his chest as he breathes in after, and it doesn’t escape Otabek’s notice.

“You were saying?” Otabek prompts; his eyebrows pinching in concern. He doesn’t even try to sound teasing.

“I don’t get sick.” Yuri tries weakly, pressing a hand to his still bare chest. The coughing must be a new symptom. “I _can’t_ get sick.”

“You can.” Otabek says, handing Yuri his own sweater. “You _are_ sick, and you’re going to go to the doctor.”

Yuri’s eyes widen, but he reaches out to take the wadded article of clothing from Otabek’s hand. “I’m fine, _Beka_. I swear it’s just a fluke.” He clears his throat like he’s trying to stop himself from coughing again. “Besides, I can’t go to the doctor _I have a competition in three days_.”

Otabek wants to shout suddenly, but he just keeps up the calm mask of composure he’s perfected over the years. Of course, Yuri doesn’t want to admit he’s sick, to Yuri that’s admitting weakness. They’ve both got a skate event this week and Yuri will always put his drive to win over his own wellbeing.  It’s why Yuri has been over practicing, pushing his body for another gold. Otabek chastises himself for not noticing sooner. He recalls Yuri flubbing jumps in practice this morning and seeming out of sorts, but Otabek thought it was due to anxiety. He’d ignored it in favor of getting to watch Yuri’s body glide across the ice. _Selfish_.

“You have to go, or you definitely won’t be competing.” Otabek says. The idea of Yuri being too sick to compete, or competing and collapsing during his gruesome free-skate, makes Otabek’s stomach drop. The thought of Yuri being sick _at all_ is doing something funny to his chest. “It could just be a cold.” He says, almost more to reassure himself than to reassure Yuri. “If so you won’t miss competition, but if it is something else you need meds.”

“A doctor got Katsuki banned from the ice for having the sniffles last season, Beka.” Yuri whines. “I’m fine.”

“Yuuri had the flu and so did Giacometti last season, and they weren’t banned they were just moved to compete in another competition after they recovered.” Otabek reasons. He understands Yuri’s anxiety, but it’s not a good enough reason to hit the ice and risk everything going wrong. The thought of Yuri forcing himself to skate through a fever, and all the possible repercussions makes Otabek’s throat tighten. _You’re supposed to take care of him_ , Otabek internally berates himself.

“But I—

Yuri starts but Otabek cuts him off. “ _I said you’re going to the doctor_.” It comes out harsh and commanding. Otabek only feels mildly guilty for using that tone.

Yuri’s shoulders deflate and he finally puts his sweater on. “If I’d known you were going to order me around outside the bedroom, I’d have never acknowledged your control.” Yuri says sharply.

It stings a bit, but Otabek knows Yuri is looking for that reaction. “Bullshit.” Is all he replies.

Otabek will never order Yuri to do something that is detrimental, just like he never forces Yuri to calm down unless Yuri is about to get himself in trouble.  Right now, Otabek wishes he could calm the worry in his own chest half as effectively.

 _Your boy is sick… focus_ , Otabek thinks as Yuri starts coughing again. _His boy_ … the thought strikes him right in the lungs as he moves to put on his shoes, working to keep his face passive. They still haven’t really talked about their dynamic. The way their solid friendship has went from ‘ _I’m here to calm you down’_ to ‘ _I’m here to hold you down, then grind against you.’_ There’s more to it, at least on Otabek’s part. There’s still the additional mantra of ‘ _Keep Yuri safe’_ that’s always been there, but somehow sex has tripled its intensity.

Otabek thinks they’re closer to being on the same page than they were before though. Before it was Otabek noticing elements between them, and Yuri taking forever to catch on. But Otabek has done his best to ask a few mild questions over the past week, after their first…well…after their first round of something more than controlled dry humping. Based on some of Yuri’s stilted answers, after some of Otabek’s subtle confessions, he thinks there’s something more there for the other skater as well. They just need to talk about it.

Otabek’s thoughts are broken by Yuri coughing again, less harshly this time, as he gets up off the couch. “I wasn’t coughing yesterday, nor earlier, Beka. I’m sure I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

Otabek narrows his eyes and uses his foot to scoot Yuri’s shoes over to him.

“Yuri, please.” Otabek says softly. Finally letting his full worry bleed out.

He watches Yuri’s suck a breath in as Otabek’s plea registers. Something must show on Otabek’s face as well, because when he meets Yuri’s sharp green eyes he sees the rest of the resistance fade from them.

Yuri just steps into his own shoes and murmurs. “At least let me put my hair up first.”

Otabek feels relief wash over him as he fumbles for the keys to his borrowed car. When he gets them firmly in hand he watches Yuri snap a rubber band from his wrist and shakily pull back his long blonde locks into a messy type of bun. There are a few strands sticking to the light sweat on his neck and by his ears, but even sick he’s still beautiful.

Yuri coughs again, and Otabek moves to put his arm around Yuri’s waist and tug him out the door.

Yuri presses against him weakly and groans, “I can’t believe I got sick. It’s supposed to be harder than this to take a tiger down.” Yuri says jokingly.

Otabek smiles. He knows from experience how hard it is to keep a tiger down. It’s distressing to hear Yuri admit to feeling weak.

Otabek’s known for a long time, since the moment he’d noticed Yuri’s soldier eyes, that Yuri can hold his own against almost anything, but as he shuffles Yuri into the car and gently kisses his sweat slicked forehead Otabek makes a silent promise.

He will stay right beside Yuri _. In case the soldier falls or the tiger isn’t feeling quite so tough._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm your trashlord. Fill my trashbag by leaving feedback on this GARBAGE.  
> As per usual find me at [kingplitsetsky](http://kingplitsetsky.tumblr.com/)


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